Tough river decision
 

Villain was 20/5 over a meaningless 50 hands. Nothing to note of. Did I play it too hard postflop? Easy river fold?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (10 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

<font color="#C00000">Button ($114.70)</font>
SB ($94.50)
BB ($122.65)
UTG ($18.55)
UTG+1 ($123.85)
UTG+2 ($82.85)
MP1 ($138.25)
<font color="#C00000">Hero ($102.25)</font>
MP3 ($100.35)
CO ($40.60)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.50.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $4</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Button calls $4, SB (poster) calls $3.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: ($13) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $10</font>, Button calls $10, SB folds.

Turn: ($33) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $25</font>, Button calls $25.

River: ($83) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $75.70 (all-in)</font>, Hero [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Final Pot: $83

Re: Tough river decision
 

I woulda called. Probably good fold though. I dont think u pushed it too hard top 2 is a great hand.

Re: Tough river decision
 

seems like an easy blocking bet on the river. how often are you going to lose with top 2-pair hu? did he show you JQ?

Re: Tough river decision
 

You are too far from the button to be opening with ATo. Just a few too many people still in the pot that can pick up a hand, and not a lot of flops where you can feel good about playing a big pot.

On the river I want to call because something doesn't smell right. But there's a lot of doubt, especially since the river completed an OESD. If you lose here, that's probably the hand... this line just doesn't look like a set to me. You win if he's on a busted draw or if he's playing really dumb with just a pair of aces. It's hard to assess the chances of each hand playing like that without any feel for how the game is being played.

Re: Tough river decision
 

Played perfectly, although with no reads i'll probably look this guy up.

Re: Tough river decision
 

I like your play on the flop and turn with the possible flush and straight draws. I hate this spot with no very reliable reads. It's marginal but I think this is a fold.

Re: Tough river decision
 

When I am up against an unknown at small stakes assume they are a bad player rather than a good player. Not sure if thats the best way to think about it, but oh well.

Re: Tough river decision
 

[ QUOTE ]
When I am up against an unknown at small stakes assume they are a bad player rather than a good player. Not sure if thats the best way to think about it, but oh well.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree (to an extent), but this doesn't necessarily help the decision whether to call. IMO, it's bad play to passively call nearly pot sized bets on the flop and turn with QJ, in the hope of getting paid off big if you hit. If Hero pays off, this bad play is rewarded.

Re: Tough river decision
 

Unlike some others I don't mind opening up with ATo here. It's been folded to you in late middle position and while I won't always raise ATo here I will do it often enough as I don't like just limping if no one has opened yet.

I like your entire line here and I hope you made the call at the end on the river. I think often enough you're going to see a worse two pair, missed flush draw, or even a hand like AK/AQ/AJ (would be a horrible bet by these aces but I've seen worse).

Yes he could show you QJ or a set(although I think a set would have raised already) but I think you take this down enough that this is actually an easy call instead of an easy fold. If you had led at the river and he raised you then I might fold, but often when I think they were on the flush draw I will check the river and let them bluff like this.

Re: Tough river decision
 

why no blocking bet on the river?